


Cakes and Cars

by Tristan_ATK



Series: Skulls Shenanigans [2]
Category: Mystery Skulls (Band), Mystery Skulls Animated
Genre: Fluff, Just a short three chapter thing, Lewthur AU, M/M, i'll fix the tags then, might add an ot3 chapter later but it depends, technically it was eventually ot3 but i never wrote that part, this was just me doing a small thing for other people so it's kind of a one-shot deal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-13
Updated: 2016-07-25
Packaged: 2018-07-23 19:11:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7476402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tristan_ATK/pseuds/Tristan_ATK
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>You keep bringing your car into my shop with a series of increasingly unlikely problems and my professional opinion is it’d be cheaper for you to just ask me to dinner already AU</i><br/>~<br/>Lewthur Mechanic AU where the cave never happened and Arthur is friends with Vivi, but didn't meet Lewis until later in life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Call me Lewis

**Author's Note:**

> > I refer to this as the mechanic AU, where Arthur didn't grow up with the others and met them when he was older and had established himself somewhat for his inventions. He still works as a mechanic with his uncle, but Lewis didn't die, and he never had the burden of that guilt. He's never gone on supernatural cases either, so some of the nerves from having those go wrong on him are absent too. 
>> 
>> as a little warning, the second 'chapter' of this is not written in drabble/fic form. it was answering someone's question about the first part that just got out of hand.

“I heard the engine rattling when I was going down Sheffield.”

Arthur glanced up at the taller man while his fingers found the switch to pop the hood. He pocketed the keys to the vehicle and moved around to the front of the car, pulling the cover up and locking it into place. “There’s a lot of gravel along that road, Mr. Pepper. You sure you weren’t hearing some getting kicked up by the tires?”

The taller man shook his head quickly, his magenta hair swishing slightly with the movement. “No- no. I’m sure it wasn’t just that. B-but maybe the gravel knocked something …loose?” He trailed off and tugged gently at the collar of his ascot.

Arthur hid his grin as he leaned into the car. The poor guy was _really_ reaching now.

Arthur shifted around a bit, but his eyes weren’t on what his hands were doing.  He wasn’t _stupid_. Mr. Pepper had brought his car in eleven times in the last month, and on every occasion, Arthur had looked at it. He knew the car had been fixed the first time: he didn’t do anything halfway, or his uncle would kill him (or at least bean a wrench or two in his direction).  He knew for a _fact_ that the car was in perfect working order.

Which meant that the other man was here for something else.

Arthur watched the other man out of the corner of his eyes as he feigned work. The guy was definitely handsome, built with broad shoulders and muscles. His skin was that really nice mixed tone too; it was a light teak color that a lot of people would kill to have. And he definitely had good, if a little outdated, taste in clothing. Not that looks really meant anything to the mechanic, but he had to admit that this guy was definitely pleasing to the eye.

What really struck him though, was the man’s face. He really loved eyes, and Mr. Pepper’s were soft and warm, the irises a violety color that really shimmered with life. His nose was a touch too big, and there was a slight crook in it as if it had been broken before, but it really fit him. And he had seen the guy smile a few times: he had one of those grins that melted the heart of every person in a twenty foot radius. It was amazing to see.

Honestly, as much as he wished it, there was no way that this guy would be here just to see-

Oh.

Arthur knew he would’ve missed it if he hadn’t been looking at the other man so intently. Almost subtly, the guy had turned his gaze away from the car, towards the mechanic’s…posterior.

Well.

…BUT maybe the client was just looking in that direction. There was no way this- this _unbelievably_ attractive man was checking _him_ out.

Experimentally, Arthur shifted, flexing his lower back slightly higher as he leaned in further underneath the hood. He felt his face begin to burn and he nearly spluttered when the other man’s eyes zeroed in on the movement.

There was no denying it now. The guy was definitely looking at his ass.

After a few moments, the man seemed to realize what he was doing and looked away. Mr. Pepper’s face turned an absolutely  _adorable_ shade of red, unlike the splotchy scarlet of his own, and Arthur couldn’t stop himself from smiling as he returned his attention to the inside of the car.

Maybe some people would find the guy’s flimsy excuses and shyness annoying or exasperating. But he just thought it was really cute. It was flattering really, a guy that looked like _that_ coming in so often just to see him.

It _would_ be cheaper to just ask him out though. The last few times he had secretly split the cost for the check-up since he couldn’t fix the problem, but he couldn’t really afford to keep that up. Not with how often Mr. Pepper showed up at the garage.

He let out a small sigh. Despite his nerves, at this point he probably would’ve tried to ask the other guy out. It was against work policies though, and he respected his Uncle and his coworkers too much to break the rules. But if the other guy asked…well, the rules only said _he_ couldn’t flirt with the customers, not the other way around. They also didn’t say he couldn’t say yes to a coffee or something if he was asked.

Undoing the hood strut, Arthur slowly closed the front of the car. The guy looked up from the ground in alarm at the sound. “Oh! Did- did you finish already?”

Arthur grabbed a grease rag from his tool belt and wiped at his blackened hands. “Yeah. I can’t find any problems, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t there. If you’re still having issues, then just bring it in again and I’ll see if I can’t find them.” He paused before chuckling. “We’re probably gonna have to give you a discount or reserve a spot for you, with how often you’ve been coming in. Maybe put in a revolving door.”

The other man laughed: it was deep and rumbling sound, and it almost made the mechanic want to laugh all over again with how infectious it was. But the guy was just being polite. It was a _really_ lame attempt at humor on his part, and Mr. Pepper laughed a few moments too long in response.

He ran a hand through his hair before pulling the keys out of his pocket and passing them into the other man’s much larger hands. “Here you are, Mr. Pepper.” He smiled at the taller man. “Enjoy the rest of your day. Thanks for using Kingsmen Mechanics.”

He turned around, only for one of those bulky hands to fall on his shoulder. That same deep voice that was laughing moments ago sounded tense now. “W-wait.”

It was happening wasn’t it? _Please_ let it be happening.

Arthur turned back around smiling warmly at the other guy. “What’s up?”

The other man pulled at his collar forcefully. “I-I…that is, um…I wanted to –to ask you something…”

He could feel his heart beating faster. He’d thought about the guy asking him out for a while, he’d admit. And the man was just being so darn endearing, the way he was acting. He hoped he wouldn’t say yes too fast and make it awkward. He had a tendency to do that sometimes.

Arthur smiled and nodded his head.  “Go ahead.”

“Uhh…I-I wanted to ask you if…if you’d call me Lewis.”

He felt his heart drop a little in his chest, but he forced the look on his face to stay the same. “I can do that. Pretty cool name too.” He paused. “You can call me Arthur if you want. Is there anything else…?”

Lewis looked conflicted for a moment, before shaking his head wildly. “N-no. I think that’s…that’s it for now.”

“Well, alright then, Mr. Pep-…Lewis. If you have any problems, don’t hesitate to come back.”

Lewis flashed one of those brilliant smiles he had, and nodded as he pulled open the driver’s seat door and slid inside. “I’ll see you around, Arthur.”

As the car pulled out, Arthur waved goodbye before dropping his arms to his sides.

Fuck.

He’d thought for sure-

…

This sucks.

Groaning, he made his way to the break-room. He was glad that no one was inside and the TV was off: he just wanted a few minutes to think and…try not to be disappointed, really. Rubbing at his face with his hands, Arthur plopped down onto the couch that was shoved into the corner of the room, staring up at the ceiling.

After a few minutes of silence, he heard the door swing open again. A gruff voice followed.  “Yer boyfriend come in?” 

He didn’t have to look to know his Uncle was the one speaking. Or that his hands were probably on his belt like they always were when he tried to sound parental. He sighed. “He’s not my boyfriend, Uncle Lance. But yeah.”

He heard one of the other chairs in the room scrape against the floor. “Still hasn’t asked you out yet then?”

Arthur rubbed his face again, voice sullen. “No…”

“Then what’re you moping around here for, boy? Get yer ass up and ask him yourself!”

Arthur rolled his head to the side to look at his uncle. “I don’t know where he lives, and I only see him in the shop. And I can’t ask him out while I’m working. It’s unethical.”

Lance crossed his arms and leaned forward. “Screw that. Who’s going to come to me and get you in trouble? Just ask him next time he comes ‘round.”

“It’s not fair to the other guys, Uncle Lance. I can’t just break the rules because I know I’d get away with it.”

Lance grunted. “…Yer a good kid. Thick sometimes, but a good kid.” He scratched where his chin probably was beneath his beard. “…Why don’t you look for him and ask him outside work?”

“Honestly, I’m half-tempted to get Vivi to find him, but I don’t want to be some creep that goes hunting people down. I might scare him.”

Lance let out a short bark of laughter in response. “You’re worried about that? Because he’s been coming here just ta see _you_ , boy. He even stopped by on yer off-day. Took his car right back out when he found out you didn’t have a shift.”

Arthur raised his eyebrows. “Really? I didn’t …” he trailed off and shook his head. “No, that still doesn’t change anything. It’s one thing to know and visit someone where they work. Tracking them down outside their job is different. More stalker-y.”

“I’m hearing a lotta excuses. You sure yer not just scared?”

Arthur looked down. “Yes. No. I don’t know… Maybe a little. I just …I don’t want to mess this up.”

Lance shrugged. “I suppose, but with all the ‘check-ups’ he’s had you do, you’re going to end up bleedin’ the boy dry. I think he’d prefer stalking.”

“I know, I know.” He frowned in thought. “I’ve been paying for half the last few times since he’s not having any actual work done, but that can’t last long… Maybe I’ll invite him to hang out during my lunch break next time. That’s not too weird, right? He might feel more comfortable if we talk for a bit too…Maybe he’ll come around and visit without the car or something.”

Lance chuckled and leaned back in his chair. “You better hope so. If not, neither of you’ll be able to afford dinner when the boy finally gets the nerve to ask you.”

Arthur rolled his eyes, but he smiled at his uncle as he sat up. “You’re funny, Uncle Lance.”

“Damn straight.” Lance paused as he eyed his nephew. “…you gettin’ on fine now?”

Arthur rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah.  I’m okay.”

“Good. Then you need to get a move on. We got at least one customer who needs their carburetor fixed, and another one with tires to rotate.”

Arthur blinked.

Lance huffed. “Cotton in yer ears, boy? You got work to do.” When Arthur began to rise slowly from the couch, Lance growled, brandishing one of his tools. “Move it, skinny malinky, before I use my wrench on you!”

Picking up speed, Arthur darted to the doorway before pausing. “Sorry Uncle Lance, but you’d have to catch me, and I don’t think your tiny legs could handle the strain!” He laughed as he jumped away from the door, hearing the sound of metal bouncing harmlessly on concrete where it wouldn't have hit him anyways as a wrench followed him along with a string of curses.

The grin stayed with him even as he kept moving towards the front of the garage, and he hummed quietly under his breath.

Because yeah, he might’ve been hit with some disappointed today…

But then again, there was always tomorrow.


	2. I'm Waiting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was answering the question "Who asks who out first?"  
> It's mostly phrased as exposition since that was what it was primarily, but the ending transitions into a scene. The last chapter is more like a drabble/fic to make up for it though-! ^^;;

Without the whole cave happening, Arthur has more confidence in himself. Not a whole lot, but enough that he doesn’t completely deny that Lewis could possibly be interested in him. And he reciprocates the feeling. He hoped Lewis would ask him out. And Lewis would keep coming by to visit, eventually without some excuse about his car needing to be looked at. They would still only hang at work though, so Arthur’s morals would keep him from asking Lewis out. He’d hope for Lewis to just build up the courage, and there are several times he almost does, but each time, he blurts something else out, leaves, and then beats himself up about not just asking Arthur out.

Arthur then slowly starts losing confidence that Lewis  _actually_ likes him, and starts to think that maybe they were just friends, but he had misread the signals Lewis was sending his way.

 And Lance won’t have that. He tries to convince Arthur to look for Lewis outside of work and just ask him out, but Arthur is too afraid to be rejected, and doesn’t want to scare Lewis, as he’s said before.

Tired of his nephew’s lack of pro-activeness, Lance turns to the one person he knows will get the job done: Vivi.

Vivi is thrilled to hear Arthur finally showing interest in someone new (they had liked each other, but chose to stay friends so they wouldn't lose one another), and of course she agrees to find this “Lewis” guy. Plenty of shenanigans ensue. There are at least a few times where she and Mystery end up tailing him from the auto-shop in a ridiculous disguise for fun, (One time there was a fake blue mustache, a newpaper with eyeholes cut in it, and a trenchcoat involved). She then finds out he works as a waiter at a restaurant called Pepper Paradiso.

Reporting to Lance, the two set up an “accidental meeting” for the two boys. Vivi invites Arthur to eat with her at this new restaurant she found, and he agrees because food is food, and  _at least the name means the food probably won’t still be alive_. So he agrees. 

Vivi had planned for everything. She had figured out Lewis’s schedule at the restaurant, and she invited Arthur to dinner during one of his shifts. She even made sure to memorize the pattern for tables Lewis would serve, and got them seated at one of his booths. The girl that seated them asked what they want to drink, and jotted down their choices before saying “Your server will be with you in a moment.” and leaving them alone. 

Vivi was practically vibrating in her seat. While Arthur was looking over the menu, she sends a text to Lance under the table. After about three minutes her phone rang, and she answered it and spoke for a few minutes. Arthur glanced up at her when she snapped the phone shut and stuffed it into her bag hurriedly.

“Who was that?”

“Chloe. She got locked out of the bookstore  _again._ I have to bring my spare keys and open it up for her since Duet’s on vacation.” Vivi did her best to look put out, but her eyes still shone with excitement.

Arthur frowned. “So should we just go then?”

Vivi shook her head quickly. “Nah. You stay. It’s dinner time and you’re already here. Might as well enjoy it. Maybe if I help her out fast enough, I can come back and get some food too. It really shouldn’t take that long.”

Arthur shrugged in response. “Alright. Just text me if you decide not to come back.”

She smiled and gave him a thumbs-up before walking away, sending a text as she exited the building:  _Operation “Fancy seeing you here” is a go._

~

Arthur stared at the menu for a minute. He was hungry, but the food was a little pricey compared to how much he usually spent. He considered letting Vivi know he was leaving and just picking up a Surf’s Up Surprise Pizza on the way home. It was cheaper, and he knew he’d like it. He had almost convinced himself to do just that when he heard a guy addressing him from behind his menu. “Welcome to Pepper Paradiso. Can I take your order?”

The menu dropped down to the table in his rush to move it out of the way. He’d recognize that deep, sweet voice anywhere, and sure enough, there in all his magenta-haired glory, stood Lewis. He looked up from his pad of paper at the sound of the menu clattering against the table, only for his jaw to drop momentarily. “A-Ar-Arthur?!”

Arthur couldn’t help but smile at the red beginning to shine on Lewis’s face. “Heeyy Lewis. I didn’t know you worked here.” 

The man seemed to be trying to speak, but the words weren’t finding their way out of his mouth.

Arthur chuckled nervously. “If me being here makes you uncomfortable, I can just go. I honestly didn’t know you worked here, and I don’t want to make you feel awkward or anything.” 

He made to scoot out of the booth, but Lewis stepped in the way, his arms waving. “NO no! You’re fine! I’m sorry, I j-just wasn’t expecting to see you…” He paused as he tugged at the collar of his dress shirt, averting his eyes. “You…you look nice. Out of your uniform. Well, not out of it, but y’know. In real clothes.”

Arthur laughed. “I hope you didn’t think I lived in that jumper. I actually prefer to dress more casually.” He paused to take in the outfit Lewis was wearing. “And what about you? You’re looking pretty sharp in that button-up and dress pants. Bet you get a lot of tips. Maybe a couple of numbers.”

Lewis spluttered in response. “O-oh, I-I uh…”

Arthur couldn’t stop himself from laughing again. Lewis was just too  _adorable_ , Really. It should be illegal for someone to be that cute. “Sorry man. I’m just saying.” He cleared his throat. “…Anyway, I’d ask you to sit, but you might get in trouble, and we definitely don’t want that. When do you get off? It’d be cool to hang out and chat, you know? Away from my work this time.”

His face was still flushed, but Lewis smiled. “I-I get off at nine. My family owns the restaurant, so if you wanted to stay after closing…”

He reached over and squeezed Lewis’s hand for a second before letting go. “Yeah. That sounds good.”

Lewis’s eyes followed the movement of his hand, and he turned impossibly redder. “I-I…you- that is…d-did you want to or-order something?”

Arthur relaxed in his seat and grinned. “Surprise me. Bring me back something  _you_ like. I’d love to try it.”

Lewis hid his face behind his notepad, scribbling shakily. “A-alright. I-um…I’m gonna go put this order in.” He chuckled once before picking the menus on the table up and hurrying away.

Arthur leaned his head on his hand and watched as Lewis left. Okay. He had to admit the guy had a pretty great butt too.

Fair’s _fair_ , right?

~

After nine, Lewis sat down at the booth again. “Sorry it took so long. I had to help close up.”

Arthur smiled at him. “Not a problem. I understand how important work and family are." His own work was with Lance, after all. "Why don’t you tell me a little bit about yours?”

He was dazzled by how bright the Lewis's smile became when he began to talk about his family. It practically lit up the room, as cliché and cheesy as that sounded. He leaned forward, listening to Lewis as he spoke excitedly about  _everything_ , not quite finishing one vein of topic before jumping into another. 

Arthur just listened. And really, he could hear that lovely baritone for hours _–days even –_ without complaint. He threaded his fingers together, resting his chin on top as he stared at the Lewis. He hung off of every word as he watched the way Lewis moved when he told a story, the way his hands danced to embellish upon the words his smooth voice created. Occasionally, he answered a few questions the other directed at him, but he didn’t mind not speaking. More time to hear what Lewis had to say, which was _much_ more interesting.

He didn’t even know how late it was until Lewis checked his phone, and jolted in surprise. “Oh wow. It’s been four hours! It didn’t feel like it…”

Arthur nodded, his head still propped on his hands. “Time flies.”

Lewis beamed at him, and he felt his heart flutter in his chest. Lewis stood up, offering his hand to help him stand. Arthur smiled as he accepted the gesture, and the two of them made their way to the front of the closed restaurant.

Lewis tugged at his collar after a moment, his face looking nervous again. “I have to lock up now and get some sleep. I have a shift in the morning. But…I’ll see you for lunch tomorrow, right?”

Arthur paused for a second. He had one chance. If he waited too long, then they might just get slated as friends. It wouldn't be the first timemail it happened. 

Maybe the other guy would say no. Maybe not. But if he never took the risk, he’d _never_ know for sure.

“Lunch sounds good, but…but if you maybe wanted to get dinner sometime…I wouldn’t be opposed.”

What he was saying didn’t seem to really be sinking in for Lewis, so Arthur took a deep breath and stepped forward. He pulled Lewis’s face down and stood on his tip-toes, planting a soft peck on his cheek. “Just…just think about it, okay? Goodnight, Lewis.”

He didn’t look back at Lewis –didn’t dare look to see how he'd reacted– as Arthur rushed out the restaurant’s door and out into the cool night air. Arthur scrubbed at his face, trying to erase how red and splotchy it was, but he couldn’t stop smiling either. He laughed a little, even as he kept walking. He’d done it. He’d _finally_ made a move. How things went from now on was mostly up to Lewis.

And he couldn’t _wait_ to see how that would turn out.


	3. Tir-I-miss-you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just some fluff. I might add a chapter after this for it becoming ot3, but I guess it'll depend on if there's interest.  
> [ This is what Tiramisu looks like. ](http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b137/jos2829/Cakes%20Cupcakes%20and%20Slices%202/tiramisucake2.jpg) [ Or this.](http://www.thegutsygourmet.net/tiramisu.png)

Arthur paced back and forth in the garage, his hands locked behind his back as he frowned. His uncle eyed him from his seated position, watching his nephew as he took a bite out his sandwich. When he had finished the mouthful, he huffed. “Boy, yer gonna wear a hole in the floor, circling like that.”

Arthur slowed to a stop, but after a moment his hands came up and began wringing together tightly.

Lance sighed.  “He’ll come ‘round, Arthur.”

One of the Arthur's hands moved to grip his hair. “You don’t know that! I-I must have misread what he wanted, and now I freaked him out! I could’ve lived with just being friends. But I had to go and- and do what I did!” Arthur stopped and lowered his voice after a moment, glancing apologetically at his uncle.  “I tried calling him, and he wouldn’t answer, Uncle Lance.  And now it’s been four days and he _still_ hasn’t come back. I messed everything up. I should’ve just let it go.”

Lance rolled his eyes and grunted. “That boy probably doesn’t know what to do with himself. You shocked him, but he’ll be back.” He shrugged after a moment. “…Or he won’t, but he’d be pretty damn stupid if he did that. And then he wouldn’t be worth your time anyway.”

Arthur wiped at his face with his hands. “But he was so _perfect_. And I _knew_ he scared easy! Why did I push him so soon?”

“Because from what you’ve told me he never would’ve gotten the job done if you left it to him!”

He started pacing again. “Still! I could’ve warned him, or waited a little longer, or something! I sprung it on him and now he won’t even talk to me and I screwed  _everything_ up and-!”

“H-hello?”

Arthur cut off with a small yelp, his back going ram-rod straight as he tensed. Lance glanced in the direction the call came from.

Lewis was standing and shuffling his feet some distance away. He was holding a small sealed container in his hands, which he seemed to be staring at rather intently.

Lance stood and wiped the bread crumbs from his pants. “Well it looks like the kid finally made it.” Lance punched his nephew’s arm lightly. “Told you he’d show, ya dunderhead.” He paused and pointed at one boy, then the other.  “Now yer both gonna have a nice chat and and pull yer heads out of yer arses. Choose ta get together or not, I don't care. But _figure it out_ before you drive each other crazy.”

Lewis looked mortified. Arthur pinched the bridge of his nose. “Really subtle, Uncle Lance.”

Lance let out a short bark of laughter. “Subtle ain’t in my job description, boy.”

His uncle began to walk away, though he paused before the exit to turn back. “Arthur, you’ve got an hour for lunch. Don’t dawdle!”

That said, he disappeared out the door, leaving the two men alone, both of whom couldn’t seem to meet the other’s eyes.

Arthur rubbed the back of his neck before speaking.

“I’m-”

“S-sorry.”

“-sorry.”

He blinked. For a moment he thought perhaps it had been an echo in the garage, but really there was no mistaking that deep voice for his own. He glanced up at Lewis with one eyebrow raised. Why was _he_ sorry?

Lewis was pulling at his vest as if the thing was constricting him with one hand as the other gripped the box he carried tightly, but he looked just as surprised as Arthur at their simultaneous apologies.  “What are _you_ sorry for, Arthur?”

Arthur broke eye-contact and looked down, shoving his hands into his pockets. “For coming on too strong. I-I …misread what you wanted and I thought maybe you were interested. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Lewis cleared the distance between them in a few short strides, until he was only a few feet from Arthur instead of across the room. “N-no Arthur. Please don’t apologize for that! I uh…I liked it. It was nice…”

Arthur blinked. That wasn’t what he expected to hear _at all_. After how Lewis had disappeared the way he did, he thought…

Lewis rubbed the back of his neck and glanced away as an adorable shade of red tinged his cheeks.  “I a-actually came by today to see you. A-and to apologize because I stayed away. I-I _do_ like you. A lot. B-but I also had some…bad experiences with things like this. I was afraid I might….I-I needed time to think. To make sure I wasn’t making the same decision I did before. I-I don’t want to get hurt anymore.”

Smiling a little easier now, Arthur reached for Lewis’s free hand and squeezed it gently. “It’s …okay. I can understand that. I promise to do my best not to hurt you, Lewis. But next time you’re afraid, please _talk_ to me instead. We can try and work it out.”

Lewis looked down. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you.”

Arthur squeezed his hand again. “Hey. There’s no need to apologize. You came back. That’s all that matters.” Pointing with his free hand at the container in Lewis’s, he smiled. “And it looks like you brought food, so you're extra-forgiven.”

“I figured it might be good to apologize with something…” Lewis trailed off and lifted the box until Arthur could see through the clear sides of the Tupperware. A small white and brown slab of what looked like cake was inside.

Lewis tugged at his collar. “I-I made it myself. Have you ever had tiramisu?”

Arthur shook his head. “I can’t say that I have. I can’t really afford to do anything too fancy. But if you made it, then I’m sure I’ll love it.”

Lewis’s face erupted with another blush, and Arthur chuckled before tugging the man by the hand over to his workbench. He offered the seat there to Lewis before retrieving one for himself. Lewis popped the lid off the container, and Arthur sighed contently. “Ah man, that smells like coffee.”

Lewis tensed. “Th-there’s coffee in it. Is that bad?”

“Not at all.” Arthur paused and used his hand to wave more of the scent his way. “I _love_  coffee-flavored stuff. Great choice.” He smiled and squeezed Lewis’s shoulder.

That seemed to help the poor guy relax, and he let out a deep breath before returning Arthur’s grin. “Good…that’s good.”

Arthur glanced into the container. “So… I don’t suppose you have a couple of plates up your sleeve to separate this on or something?”

Lewis shook his head. “No, I thought maybe we could just split it.” He flipped over the lid he had removed to reveal two forks taped to the bottom.

Arthur accepted the one that was passed to him with a small nod in thanks. “I like the way you think, Lew.” Cutting into the dessert, he brought a forkful up and tasted it. He nearly choked on the flavor: this was definitely _not_ cake: It was sweeter and so much creamier, the bite practically melting in his mouth. He wiped his mouth on his arm before cutting another piece. “Shit, Lewis. This is amazing.”

He glanced up, poised to eat more of it, only to pause when he saw that Lewis’s face had somehow become impossibly redder than before and the man was still staring at him as if gauging his reaction. Lewis couldn’t wipe a smile off his face after what Arthur said seemed to sink in. “I…I’m glad you like it. I was hoping you would.”

Arthur shook his head. “I love it. I thought it was going to taste like cake, but this is _so_ much better.”

Lewis smiled and cut himself a piece with the fork. “It does look a lot like cake, doesn’t it? A lot of it is whipped cream, coffee, mascarpone cheese, and sugar though. There are some savoiardi- ladyfingers- in there, which is a bread, but even that is doused in coffee to soften it. I guess I should have warned you.” He smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck.

Arthur grabbed another forkful, and watched Lewis speak. When Lewis talked about his family, or food, apparently, he just lit up in the most mesmerizing way. How he smiled and talked with his hands was just so damn cute.  “I think it was better because it was a surprise.” He stuffed his new bite in his mouth and hummed. “Oh man, this is so good. What did you call it again?”

“Tiramisu. My father taught me to make it.”

“Give that man a medal then. This stuff is to die for.” He forced himself to set his fork down. Lewis had brought it to share, and he’d already eaten three times as much as Lewis. He needed to pace himself so Lewis could enjoy it too. He made a mental note to get more Tiramisu at some point: Vivi would _love_ this stuff.

Lewis laughed before eating a second bite “You should have some of my Mom’s cooking. She does things spicy. But it’s best when the two of them work together. They have this Bhut Jolokia special that’s just…it’s spectacular. It’s really spicy, but there’s chocolate in it so it’s sweet too. And It’s _absolutely_ delicious.”

Arthur nodded. He wasn’t a big fan on spicy things, but with the way Lewis talked about it, it was obviously one of his favorite dishes. He stored that information away for later use before leaning down on a hand on the counter and listening to Lewis as he spoke.

This time, he spent some of their time together talking about himself. Lewis seemed curious about everything about him. He didn’t find any of it interesting, but the way Lewis watched him in complete awe as he spoke made his face flush. No one had ever really looked at him that way. He really didn’t have anything interesting to boast of, but the way Lewis watched him he might have chosen the most amazing topic in the history of mankind.

It was towards the end of the lunch break, and they had finished the dessert in its entirety when Lewis turned towards him.

He looked like he was about to ask something, but he paused. “Oh. You’ve got some whipped cream on your…” He trailed off and brought his hand up to wipe at Arthur’s cheek delicately.

Arthur could feel his own cheeks growing warm as Lewis looked at him, and the guy was so close he could smell the spicy scent of Lewis, the aroma something he seemed to exude naturally. It was like a mix of cinnamon and peppers, with a splash of vanilla. Arthur _really wanted to kiss him right this second_.

But last time he had scared him off. Maybe it would be best to put the idea of a relationship on hold until Lewis was more ready. More comfortable.

But then his head was tilted up by soft hands and lips were pressing into his, and he started. For a few moments Arthur didn’t react, his eyes wide as Lewis kissed him, but the moment his brain caught on to what was happening, he let out a soft sigh and closed his eyes. It was just how he thought it’d be.

No, wait. That was wrong. _Actually_ , it was so much better because this was _actually_ happening.

His hands slowly climbed up the man’s shoulders and squeezed gently as he pressed back, but all too soon Lewis pulled away. Arthur tried to suppress the noise of disappointment.

He had been a little dazed and surprised by the whole act, so he didn’t notice that Lewis was holding all of their silverware and was prepared to head out until the man spoke. “I-I uh…I have to go now. I-I’ll see you tomorrow, Art.”

Arthur took in the sheer volume of red on Lewis’s face and his nervous stance, and blinked.

It was only after the man ducked out the door that he came to his senses and charged after him. “L-Lewis! You _better get back here! I’m not letting you leave until we have a time and place for a get-together set up! You’re not getting out of this after that little stunt!_ ”

Inside his office, Lance looked up from the paperwork in front of him at the shout. Chuckling quietly to himself at his nephew’s words, he pulled out his phone.

It took a few tries to write out the text correctly. He frowned at another typo and pressed the backspace again. Really they should make phones with bigger keys because this was ridiculous. _Finally_ , he grunted and sent the text off before tossing the phone onto his desk in mild annoyance. But there was a smile on his face.

~

Vivi was reading and stroking Mystery’s fur when her phone went off. She glanced over at the coffee table and considered for a moment whether it was worth the effort to reach for it. Sighing after a moment, she slipped her bookmark in and grabbed the device.

When she saw the contents of the message, she squealed and Mystery let out a startled bark as she practically vibrated with excitement.

When he had leapt off of her and onto the floor to safety, Mystery looked at her through his glasses humorlessly. That had been a very relaxing nap before her outburst.

However, the disgruntled dog almost smiled as she shouted, “Look Mystery!” and shove the phone in his face:

_[TEXT]: Well girlie, looks like your plan did the job. Kid finally got the nerve to ask the pretty boy out. Good work._


End file.
